On December 26, 2024, the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) held the plague awarding ceremony of the China-US Youth Exchange Camp in Kuliang, Fuzhou, Fujian. President Yang Wanming, along with Guo Ningning, Member of the Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Fujian Provincial Committee and Secretary of the CPC Fuzhou Municipal Committee, attended the ceremony and delivered a speech. Around 50 participates were present, including Vice President Shen Xin, Mayor of Fuzhou Wu Xiande, Director General Li Lin of the Fujian Provincial Foreign Affairs Office, Member of the Standing Committee and Secretary-General of the CPC Fuzhou Municipal Committee Zheng Yu, and youth representatives from China and the US. Liang Dong, Vice Mayor of Fuzhou, chaired the ceremony.
In his address, President Yang Wanming praised the strong cooperation between the CPC Fujian Provincial Committee, the People's Government of Fujian Province, the CPC Fuzhou Municipal Committee, and the People's Government of Fuzhou Municipality in working alongside the CPAFFC. He acknowledged their collective efforts over the past two years, which led to the successful hosting of events such as the "Bond with Kuliang: 2023 China-US People-to-People Friendship Forum" and the "Bond with Kuliang: 2024 China-US Youth Festival". President Xi Jinping sent congratulatory letters to both events, expressing high hopes for continuing the Kuliang legacy, strengthening people-to-people friendship, enhancing youth exchanges, and promoting mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries.
To further implement the guiding principles of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important instructions and build platforms for regular China-US youth exchanges, the CPAFFC decided to set up the China-US Youth Exchange Camp in Kuliang. This decision was made considering Fujian's extensive experience in foreign affairs, as well as the rich historical, cultural, educational, and practical resources available Kuliang, Fuzhou. Moving forward, the CPAFFC will collaborate with Fujian and Fuzhou to use this camp as a platform for hosting various youth exchange activities under the theme "Bond with Kuliang", arranging visits from American youth delegations, and organizing a range of events to carry forward the special China-US bond. The aim is for the camp to become a central hub of friendship between Chinese and American youth, attracting more social forces from both countries to contribute to the telling and practice of the Kuliang story, boosting China-US friendship, and advancing the cause of people-to-people exchanges.
On behalf of the CPC Fuzhou Municipal Committee and the People's Government of Fuzhou Municipality, Guo Ningning expressed sincere gratitude to the CPAFFC for its longstanding support in fostering Fuzhou's international friendships. She noted that Kuliang in Fuzhou stands as a vivid testament to the deep, enduring friendship between the Chinese and American peoples, spanning over a century. Under the personal guidance and promotion of General Secretary Xi Jinping, Kuliang has become an important platform for many American youth to learn about, experience, and understand China. The establishment of the China-US Youth Exchange Camp in Kuliang offers a larger platform for Fuzhou to deepen people-to-people exchanges with the US. Guo expressed that Fuzhou would take this opportunity as a new starting point to tell the Kuliang story effectively, intensify youth exchanges, invite more American youth to visit and study in Fuzhou, and further raise the profile of the camp. By doing so, Fuzhou aims to develop Kuliang into an important window, a major platform, and a leading brand for China-US people-to-people friendship and youth exchanges.
In their speeches, Zheng-Lin Shujie and Cecilia Cobbs, representatives of Chinese and American youth, expressed their commitment to using the plaque awarding ceremony of the China-US Youth Exchange Camp as a fresh starting point for deepening exchanges, enhancing friendship, and increasing mutual understanding. They pledged to work together to carry forward China-US friendship, write the Kuliang story in the new era, and contribute to the healthy and steady development of China-US relations.
At the ceremony, Vice President Shen Xin presented the plaque to Yan Tao, Director of the Kuliang Management Committee, on behalf of the CPAFFC. Yang Wanming, Guo Ningning, Li Lin, and Wu Xiande witnessed the awarding. Following the ceremony, Yang Wanming, Guo Ningning, and the accompanying delegation were briefed on Kuliang's development plan.
